April 28, 2025
Mississippi Valley State University will host its 73rd commencement ceremony at 8 a.m. Saturday, May 10, 2025, in the R.W. Harrison Complex.
This year, 197 graduates will be celebrated alongside 55 Golden Graduates from the Class of 1975, making the occasion even more special.
Graduates are asked to arrive in full regalia by 6:30 a.m. Gates will open for the public at 7 a.m.
The keynote speaker will be Darryl C. Gaines, an MVSU alumnus with more than 34 years of experience in aeronautics and space exploration. Gaines has held leadership roles at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Co. and NASA, where he worked at multiple centers across the United States and collaborated globally with space agencies and commercial partners such as SpaceX and Boeing.
He currently serves as acting deputy director for the Exploration Architecture Integration and Science Directorate at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where he leads efforts related to the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon and eventually land on Mars.
A native of Mobile, Alabama, Gaines earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a minor in mathematics from MVSU. He played football on a scholarship and worked at McDonnell Douglas while also being selected by the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Gaines is a passionate advocate for workforce development. He founded the Darryl Gaines Foundation, which supports children in underserved communities.